Cigarette lighter for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A cigarette lighter for a vehicle includes a socket electrically connected to a vehicle battery; and a plug, removably disposed in the socket. The plug includes a push button and an outer housing. The push button is slidable within the outer housing, and includes a heating element. The outer housing includes a plug holder that surrounds the push button. The lighter also includes a handle on the plug holder for extraction of the plug from the socket. The plug holder may include a rim that interferes with the socket to act as a stopper. The handle may be hinged to the plug holder, and rotatable between a first, usable position, and a second, rest position, at which it is seated against the rim.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Korean Application No. 10-2007-0057208, filed on Jun. 12, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cigarette lighters for vehicles.

2. Description of the Related Art

FIG. 1 shows a typical cigarette lighter 10 provided in an instrument panel 1, or in a console, which partitions the driver's and passenger's seats. As shown in FIG. 1, the cigarette lighter 10 includes a plug 12, and a socket 11, into which the plug 12 is inserted. When the user pushes the plug 12, power is supplied to a heating element (not shown) of the plug 12 through the socket 11. When the heating element is heated to a predetermined temperature, the plug 12 returns to its original position, in which it protrudes from the instrument panel 1.

Because the plug 12 protrudes from the panel 1, it is an impediment to the user. Particularly, in the case where the cigarette lighter 10 is provided adjacent to a container 2, such as for coins, cellular phones, or the like, this may be very inconvenient for the user. Moreover, if the plug 12 of the cigarette lighter 10 is unintentionally pushed by an object that is placed in the receiving space 2, the plug 12 may overheat and thus become welded to the socket 11, or even catch fire.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A cigarette lighter for a vehicle includes a socket electrically connected to a vehicle battery; and a plug, removably disposed in the socket. The plug includes a push button and an outer housing. The push button is slidable within the outer housing, and includes a heating element. The outer housing includes a plug holder that surrounds the push button. The lighter also includes a handle on the plug holder for extraction of the plug from the socket.

The plug holder may also include a rim that interferes with the socket to act as a stopper.

The handle may be hinged to the plug holder, and rotatable between a first, usable position, and a second, rest position, at which it is seated against the rim.

The plug holder may include a stop protrusion extending from the rim and surrounding the push button. The handle may be hinged to the rim or to the stop protrusion.

When the handle is in the rest position, it may be flush with the push button.

The handle may include one or two semicircular handles, or one circular handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional cigarette lighter;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a cigarette lighter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of a partially assembled cigarette lighter of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an exemplary application of the cigarette lighter of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, but showing a cigarette lighter with a second exemplary handle; and

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, but showing a cigarette lighter with a third exemplary handle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

A cigarette lighter according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be explained herein below with reference to FIGS. 2 through 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the cigarette lighter includes a socket 100, a plug 200, a plug holder 300 and a handle 400.

The socket 100 is an electric component, which is hollow and is provided in an instrument panel or a console. The socket 100 has a terminal 120 which is connected to a battery (not shown).

The plug 200 includes a push button 210, an external housing 230, and a heating element (not shown), which is provided “ahead” (i.e. up and to the right in FIG. 2) of the push button 10. The heating element may be received in a separate internal housing (not shown).

The plug 200 is installed in the socket 100. When the push button 210 is pushed, power is supplied to the heating element through the terminal 120 of the socket 100. Thereby, the heating element generates heat. The heating element is exposed at the front end 220 of the plug 200. An external thread 231 is provided on the outer surface of the rear end of the external housing 230.

The plug holder 300 has a hollow body 310. An internal thread 311 is provided on the inner surface of the hollow body 310, so that the plug holder 300 is screw coupled to the rear end of the external housing 230. The outer diameter of the hollow body 310 is slightly less than the inner diameter of the socket 100. A rim part 320 protrudes outwards from the outer surface of the rear end of the hollow body 310 to a position at which it abuts the socket 100, serving as a stopper when the plug 200 is inserted into the socket 100.

Furthermore, the plug holder 300 has a stop protrusion 330, which extends from the rear end of the rim part 320 and surrounds the push button 210. Two coupling holes 340 are provided at the top and bottom of the stop protrusion 330.

The handle 400 comprises two semicircular rings, hinged to the stop protrusion 330 by coupling protrusions 410, provided at the top and bottom of each ring and inserted into corresponding coupling holes 340.

FIG. 3 is an assembled view of the plug 200, plug holder 300, and handle 400 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3 a, the handle 400 can be seated on the rim part 320 (FIG. 3 b). When the handle 400 is seated on the rim part 320, it is flush with the push button 210. The push button 210 is protected by the rim part 320, the stop protrusion 330 and the handle 400. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3 b, the handle 400 can be rotated toward the user.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the cigarette lighter 100 is installed in the instrument panel 1, the length to which the plug 200 protrudes from the instrument panel 1 is markedly reduced compared to the conventional plug 12. In detail, the above-mentioned protruding length of the plug 200 can be 1 cm or less. Furthermore, because the plug 200 is protected by the plug holder 300, unintentional pushing of the plug 200 is prevented.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cigarette lighter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment includes a handle 400 a with only one ring, which has a rotating axis that extends through the center of the plug push button 210.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cigarette lighter according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment also includes a handle 400 b with a circular ring, which is rotatably coupled to the rim part 320 by a hinge 350.

As described above, in a cigarette lighter according to embodiments of the present invention, the plug is prevented from being unintentionally pushed by contact with other objects. Furthermore, the length to which the cigarette lighter protrudes from the instrument panel is relatively low, so that it is prevented from impeding a user.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. 

1. A cigarette lighter for a vehicle, comprising: a socket electrically connected to a vehicle battery; a plug, removably disposed in the socket, comprising a push button and an outer housing, the push button being slidable within the outer housing and comprising a heating element, the outer housing comprising a plug holder at least substantially surrounding the push button; and a handle provided on the plug holder for extraction of the plug from the socket.
 2. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plug holder comprises a rim configured to interfere with the socket to act as a stopper.
 3. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 2, wherein the handle is hinged to the plug holder, and rotatable between a first, usable position, and a second, rest position, at which it is seated against the rim.
 4. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 3, wherein the plug holder comprises a stop protrusion extending from the rim to at least substantially surround the push button, and the handle is hinged to the rim or to the stop protrusion.
 5. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 3, wherein, when the handle is in the second position, the handle is substantially flush with the push button.
 6. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 3, wherein the handle comprises two handles.
 7. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 6, wherein each said handle is substantially semicircular.
 8. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 3, wherein the handle extends along about half a periphery of the plug holder.
 9. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 8, wherein said handle is substantially semicircular.
 10. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 3, wherein the handle extends along a majority of a periphery of the plug holder.
 11. The cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 10, wherein said handle is substantially circular. 